Apparatus for applying variegated sands to extruded brick-forming clay columns



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I fi INVENTOR A'ITORNEY HW/'lsn July 15, 1958 H. w. wLsoN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING VARIEGATED SANDS TO EXTRUDED BRICK-FORMING CLAY COLUMNS Filed June 28. 1956 July 15, 1958 w. wLsoN 3 9 APPARATUS FOR APPLYING VARIEGATED SANDS TO EXTRUDED BRICK-FORMING CLAY OLUMNS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1956 IN VENTOR ATTORNEY %Af W July 15, 1958 H. w. WILSON 2,843,081

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING VARIEGATED SANDS TO EXTRUDED BRICK-FORMING CLAY OLUMNS 3 Sheets s 3 Filed June -28, 1956 W lson ATT EY United States Patent APPARATUS FOR APPLYING VARIEGATED SANDS TO EXTRUDED BRICK-FORMING CLAY COLUMNS Homer W. Wilson, Wo'tlington, Ohio Application June 28, 1956, Serial No. 594,650

7 Claims. (Cl. 118 122) The present invention invention relates to apparatus for producing sanded, varicolored, ceramic building brick and the like, and has particular reference to apparatus for permanently applyng dierently colored sands in thin layer form to the outwardly facing or normally exposed surfaces of bricks at the time of their formation and prior to kiln-burning thereof.

In the past, brick has been sand-coated on its superficial surfaces to obtain variegated coloration. It has been the practice in certain of such prior methods and machines to slice or trim thin layers from the sand-receiving surfaces of a stifi clay column from which the bricks are formed as the column is undergong discharge from the die outlet of a clay-extruding mill, and thereafter to apply a colored, sand-receiving, ceramic slip or engobe to the sliced column surfaces, in order that sand subsequently deposted on the column may be adhesvely retained in position on the column while the latter is being cut or divided into brick sizes and the bricks otherwise handled prior to kiln firng.

In accordance with the present invention, an improved apparatus is provided for depositing directly on a continuously moving green clay column, immediately following its discharge from a clay-extruding mill, variegated sand to impart patterns of varying colors and hues to the normally exposed surfaces of the finished bricks, excess sand being then scraped from the column to produce thin, controlled depth layers which are then pressed and embedded in the surfaces of the clay column prior to cutting the latter into individual bricks. These operations serve, through direct applications of the sand and the pressing thereof into the column, to eliminate the necessity of trimming the column and thereafter applying a colored slip or engobe thereto, as used in prior methods.

The primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an improved and relatively mechanically simplified apparatus for applying ditferently colored or variegated sands to the upper and side surfaces of an extruded, brick-forming, clay column, whereby -to produce finished bricks from such columns which, individ-ually, are characterized by different color patterns or hues on their normally exposed sui-faces, th-us impartng to a wall formed from a multiplicity of such bricks a pleasing, nonuniform, color-interrupted appearance.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved brick-sanding apparatus which comprises a hopper or magazine formed with rows of separate compartments for the reception of variegated sands, and wherein each of the compartments may receive sand of one color, or sands of difierent colors disposed in superposed, strataforming order; and wherein each .'ow of compartments has associated therewith an improved valve means operable automatically and sequentially to control the desired out-flow of sand from the hopper in response to the movement of the green clay column beneath the hopper.

A further object is to provide brick-sanding apparat-us of the character described which comprises a sand-spreading Shoe or plow for levelingand regulating the depth of sand layers deposted on the clay column, as well as removing from the column excess quanttes of the deposted sand.

A still further object is to provide in such apparat-us a hame-supported, adjustable, pressure bar having an edge portion disposed to forcibly and sufliciently embed the deposted sand layer in the plastic clay column to cause the sand particles to maintain their applied positions during cutting of the column into individual brick formations and during the necessary handling and burning of the brick.

Another object is to provide improved adjustment means for the pressure bar by which the same may be exed to cause it to conform with particular and variable surface curvatures normally encountered on ex-truded clay columns.

Other objects and advantages of 'the invention Will become more apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which there has been ill-ustrated a preferred form of apparatus for carrying out my invention, the essential features of the invention being summarized in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 .is a side elevational view of a brick-sanding apparatus formed in accordance with the present invention and disclosing its operative relation to the eXtrusion mll and cutter elements of a brick-making machine;

Fig. 2 is a similar View on a larger scale of the bricksanding apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a top plan of the magazine or hopper illustrating its multiple compartment Construction;

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional' view di-sclosing the valve-controlled discharge ends of the compartments of the sand magazine, the stationary, sanddeflecting and level-controlling Shoe, and the adjustable pressure bar for embedding the deposted sand in the clay column;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5, disclosing the angularly disposed outlet slots formed in the bottom of the magazine and the relation thereof to complemental slots formed in slidable valve members;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of one of the valve members;

Fig. 8 is a detail transverse vertical sectional View on the line 8-S of Fig. 6, illustrating in elevation the spring and fluid-actuated means for moving the valve members to positions opening or closing the sand outlets of the magazine;

Fig. 9 is a detail transverse vertical sectional view disclosing one of the sand troughs at the side of an extruded clay column and disclosing the adjustable, vertically disposed, pressure bar therein;

Fig. 10 is a similar view disclosing the adjustable, frame-carried, supporting means for the horizontally dist posed pressure bar for coaction with the upper horizontal surface of the clay column;

Fig. 11 is a horizontal sectional view t-aken along the line 11--11 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 12 is an elevational view of the horizontal pressure bar disclosing the fiexing adjustment thereof;

from which a continuous column of clay 3 is extruded onto the upper length of a continuous conveyor belt 4. At its ends, the belt is passed around front and rear drums 5 and 6, which are rotatably supported by a frame 7 which also may include intermediate idler rolls 3. The conveyor belt 4 is driven through the drum 6 by a suitable electric motor drive, not shown, and the speed of movement of the conveyor belt is synchronized with the speed of movement of the clay column issuing from the discharge nozzle 1 of the extrusion mill 2.

The column of clay upon discharge from the belt is movingly supported by a horizontal ledge 9 projecting from the rear end of the frame 7 and upon a spaced, complemental ledge 10 carried by the forward end of a second frame 10a. The spacing of the ledges enables the cutting wires 11 of a conventional cutting machine 12 to pass between them at timed intervals to sever the column transversely and thereby divide the column into individual green bricks of appropriate size. The frame 10a carries a power-driven conveyor 13 which travels at a somewhat higher rate of speed than the belt 4, so that the brick-like clay bodies, formed by the transverse severing of the clay column, will separate from one another, thus providing convenience and ease in handling the same.

The Construction so far specifically described is conventional, and the apparatus of the present invention is formed to Supplement the same to provide for the formation of sanded brick of various hues or color patterns. To this end, the column-extruding head 1 of the mill has rgidly secured thereto a frame 14 which includes a pair of vertically dsposed side plates 15 which support, above the clay column and in vertical registry therewith, a sand magazine or hopper 16.

In order that the magazine may contain in a separated state columns ofdifferently colored sands, the magazine is formed (see Figs. 2 and 3) with parallel rows of front, intermediate, and rear compartments, shown at 17, 18, and 19, respectively. Each row of compartments, which extends transversely of the clay column, comprises four compartments for the reception of the sand admixed with powdered pigments of different colors or shades of colors, such as various metallic oxdes. The sand introduced into each of these compartments may be of one color, or of several different colors, such as, for example, various shades of red, brown, and black, with the ditferently colored sands arranged in superposed, stratified order. The sands are released from the compartments of one row simultaneously, with the diferently colored sands so released dropping through a rearwardly facing, regulable, outlet `slot extending transversely across the bottom of the magazine upon different areas of the horizontal upper surface of the clay column. After predetermined linear travel of the column, the discharge of sands from one transverse row of compartments is automatically shut off, and the outlet-controlling valve means of a next adja-cent, parallel row of compartments are automatically opened to release sands on given areas of the column which, preferably, are in color or shade contrast from those of the previous row.

After a further predetermined travel of the column, the flow of colored sands from the compartments of the second row is automatically terminated and the flow transferred to the third row, the corresponding compartments of which may again contain dfferently colored or shaded sand than the longitudinally aligned compartments of the two preceding rows. This operation, supplemented with the stratified or superposed storage of a plurality of differently colored sands in each compartment, makes it possible to produce on the normally exposed surfaces of the bricks a wide variety of colors, shades, and hues, wherein, in a given batch of bricks, or in a given column run, it is possible that no two bricks in such a batch will possess identical color, shading, or hue patterns, thus producing a batch of bricks of pleasing nonuniform color appearance when assembled in wall formation.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the magazine includes, at the bottom of the compartment rows 17, 18, and 19, a stationary, horizontally dsposed, bottom plate 21. This plate is formed with a plurality of elongated outlet slots 22, there being one of these slots in the bottom of each compartment. The slots are dsposed in relative, parallel order and at an acute angle to the transverse axis of each row of compartments, in order to facilitate their opening and closure. In this respect, the slots of ecah row are opened and closed by a slidable closure member or valve plate comprising a metallic strip 23. Each of these strips is supported for sliding movement by guides 24, and includes slots 25 of the same formation and arrangement as the slots 22, so that relatively slight longitudinal movement of the strips will bring its slots into and out of complete registry with those of the bottom plate or wall 21.

As shown in Figs. 2, 6, and 8, one end of each strip 23 is formed with a rigid, perpendicularly extending lug 26, the outer end of the lug being connected with the outer end of a piston rod 27, the inner end of which is joned with a sliding piston 28 mounted for movement in the chamber of a stationary, fluid pressure cylinder 29. In this instance, each piston rodis surrounded by a coil spring 30 which is confined between the outer end of the cylinder chamber in which it is dsposed and the outer face of the associated piston. Normally the springs serve to maintain the strips 23 in their positions of compartment closure, but are compressed in response to the introduction of fluid pressure within the cylinders 29 and movement of the piston 28 to permit the valve plate 23 to move to an open position.

To move the strips automatically to positions in which the rows of compartments are opened and closed in sequential order, the frame-journaled shaft 31 of the rear drum 6 is equipped with a sprocket 32. Around this sprocket (Fig, 1) there is passed an endless drive chain 32a which extends to and around a greater diameter sprocket 33 fixed to a frame-journaled shaft 34. As shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the shaft 34 carries a plurality of fixed crank arms 35, and to the outer end of each of these arms there is adjustably secured, as at 36, a cam 37 having an arcuate outer face 38. The crank arms are mounted on the shaft 34 in circumferentially spaced order, but in registry with the movable actuating stems 39 of a plurality of air-flow-controlling valves 39a, so that as the shaft 34 rotates, the arcuate faces of the cams 37 will contact the valve stems 39 to open the valves 39a in a given sequence which is synchronized with the linear advance of the clay column.

As shown in Fig. 14, an air compressor 40 is opera-ble to deliver air under pressure to a compressed air tank 41 by way of a pipe line 42. A pipe line 43 leads from the tank and extends to the air inlet side of each of the valves 39a. A suitable shut-off valve 44 is provided in the line 43 between the tank 41 and the valves 39a and is operable, preferably automatically, to interrupt the flow of air to the valves 39a and the cylinders 29 upon stoppage of the extrusion mill 2, or interruption in the movement of the column 3, in order to insure the closing of the valve plates 23 and interrupt the discharge of sand from the hopper 16 upon stoppage of the column. The valve 44 is normally open at all times during movement of the column 3, and when the valve actuator 39 is tripped by contact with its cam 37, air under pressure flows through the opened valve 3911, through a pipe line 45 to one of the cylinders 29, causing the piston 28 therein to move outwardly, against the resistance of its spring 30, to thus move the valve strip 23 to an open position in admitting of sand flow from the row of compartments governed by the particular strip 23. The duration of this flow is controlled 'by the' rotaton of the shaft 34 in its response to column movement and the period of contact between the arcuate faces 38 of the cams 37 and the air valve stems 39. By adjusting the cams 37 about their axes of pivotal connection 36 with the crank arms 35 this contact period may be Varied as found most desirable.

The colored sands released from the magazine compartments drop into an enlarged outlet chamber 46 having downwardly sloping and 'inwardly converging rear and front walls 47 and 48. The slot 20 is formed in the wall 48 at its lower edge, so that sands received in the chamber 46 from the storage compartment will gravitate through the slot 20 for deposit on the upper surface of the clay column. The width of the slot 20 may be adjisted or varied by a sliding plate 49 which extends parallel with and in close adjacency to the outer surface of the wall 48. The upper edge of the plate 49 is 'connected with a clamp 50 and to this clamp there is rigidly secured the lower end of an upwardly projectng rod 51. The upper end of this rod is threaded and positioned in an opening formed in angle bracket 52 carried by and fixed to the magazine structure, as shown in Fig. 2. By adjusting a wing nut 53 on the threaded portion of the rod, the plate 49 may be adjusted to obtain the desired width of the magazine outlet slot 20 required to procure a'de'sired flow rate of the compartment-released sand therethrough. If desired, the rod 51 and its wing nut 53 may be replaced by a'fluid-actuated motor, not shown, to control the opening and closing of the slot 20.

In order to apply sand to the sides of the column which ultimately form the ends of the finished brick, the magazine 16, beyond the compartments 17, 18 and 19, is formed with end compartments 54 for the recepton of varicolored sands. These end compartments are formed in the lower part thereof with downwardly and inwardly inclined, restricted, outlet chutes 55 which, as shown in Fig. 4, discharge the sand contained therein gravitationally into side troughs 56 formed by the frame 14-, its side plates 15 and bottom plate 57. The 'bottom plate 57 carries at each side thereof channel members 58 which form a partof the trough 56, enabling sand deposited therein to engage directly a sufficient marginal area of the underside of the clay column to prevent the applied sand from thinning out at the edge portions of the completed brick and allowing the underlying color of the brick body to show through.

At the end thereof, each trough 56 is provided with a vertically disposed press bar 59. This bar has edge engagemert with the sides of the clay column to force the sand particles deposited thereon into the column and regulate the depth or thickness of the applied sand layer or deposit. To this end, each of the side plates 15 has its inner surface provided adjacent to the rear end thereof with a pair of fixed, vertically aligned, angle brackets 60, as shown in Fig. 9. The horizontal legs of these brackets are slotted to receive slidable journal boxes 61, and turna'ble in sockets provided by these boxes are the rounded, trunnion-like ends 62 of the rectangular body member 63 of each press bar 59. The turning adjustment of each of the 'body members, as provided by the trunnion ends 62, enables the outer edge 64 of each press bar to be brought into deeper or lighter scraping engagement with a side of the clay column.

To maintain the adjustnent of each press bar, the same is provided intermediately thereof with a crank arm 64a which, at its outer end, is perforated to pivotally receive one end of a bolt 65 which extends through an opening formed in the side plate 15. The shank portion of each bolt 65 which extends outwardly from the side plate 15 carries thereon a compression spring 66 and is threaded at its outer end to receive an adjustable tensioning nut 66a. Thus, by adjusting the nuts 66a, the tension of the springs 66 may be varied to maintain a desired pressure of the press bars 59 on the sides of the clay column 3. Set screws 67 threadedly carried in the 6 side plates 15 are adapted to engage the horizontally slidable journal boxes 61 to provide for angular adjustment of the press bars 59 relative to the sides of the clay column.

Similarly', the colored sands deposited on the horizontal top surface of the clay column are reduced to desired layer thickness and pressed into the column. Toward this end, as shown especially in Figs. 5 and ll, there is positioned :between the plates 15 a sand-deflecting and -layer-producng' plow or shoe 68. This shoe, as shown in Fig. 11, is of generally shallow V-shape and is formed with a pair of outwardly divergent arms which ride or float freely upon the upper surface of the clay column. The shoe or plow 68 at the outer ends thereof are formed with parallel stop webs 68a which abut against journal boxes 73 of an upper press *bar assem'bly, which will be hereinarfter more fully explained, to prevent the shoe 68 from moving with the column 3. The shoe 68 provides for the passage of a relatively thin, uniform layer of sand beneath the shoe, excess quantities of sand deposited by the magazine structure on the upper surface of the column, being deflected by the action of the shoe and forced outwardly and laterally for -deposit in the side troughs 56.

Carried by the side plates 15 of the frame 14 in a position forwardly of the shoe 68 but above the horizontal upper surface of the clay column is a generally horizontally disposed press bar 70 which is similar in construction, mounting .and purpose to the previously described vertically disposed press bars 59 of the side troughs. Thus, the press bar 70 is mounted on a crosssectionally square body member 71, which has its ends formed wit' h journalling extensions 72 receivable in aligned sockets provided in a pair of hearing blocks 73, the latter having ribs 74 adjustable in slots 75 formed in the vertical legs of angle brackets 76. Lock nut held adjusting screws 77 are carried by the horizontal legs of the brackets 76 and are operable to raise or 'lower the press bar 70 relative to the upper surface of the clay column and thereby to control the angularity of the bar 70 relative to the clay column. Additionally, the member 71 is provided with crank extensions 7761 which are pivotally engaged by the hooked ends of tension rods or bolts 78 whose shank portions slidably extend through a support bracket 79. On the opposite side of the bracket 79, the shank portions of the rods 78 are threaded to receive adjustable tensioning nuts 7911, between which and the bracket 79 are mounted coil compression springs 79b. Thus, by adjusting the nuts 7%, a constant, but vaiable pressure may be maintained between the press bar 70 and the upper surface of the clay column.

To compensate for slumping or convex raising of the upper surface of the clay column from a normal horizontal plane, which conditions sometimes occur with the use of different clays, or as a result of pressure variations on the clay within the mill, it is desired to adjust the bar so that it will conform in general to such abnormal curvatures. The ends of the body 71 are provided with openings in which are swiveled a pair of adjusting screws or bolts 80. The lower threaded ends. of the bolts 80 are received within threaded bosses 81 formed or otherwise provided on the outer end portions of the press bar 70. A similar screw 82 is swiveled to the center of the body 71 and extends downwardly for threaded engagement with a central boss 83 carried on the bar 70. Thus, by adjusting the bolts or screws 80 and 82, the bar may be fiexed to present either a convex or concave surface to the clay column to thereby cause it to conform to the variations from level in the upper surface of the column, thereby maintaining a close, pressing contact between the bar 70 and the top surface of the clay column, to insure the pressing of the sand particles into the upper surface of the column.

In View of the foregoing, 'it will be seen that the present invention provides a mechanically simple, yet highly eiiicient apparatus for applying variegated sands to the nori mally exposed surfaces of extruded brick-forming clay columns. Apparatus formed in accordance with the present invention is characterized by its ease of installation in combination with ordinary present-day brick-making machinery, and when so installed, is rendered responsive to the normal operation of such brick forrning machinery so as to provide a desired non-uniform coloration upon the individual bricks making up a given batch of bricks, to thereby produce bricks which, when assembled in wall formation, provide a pleasing color-interrupted, non-uniform appearance.

While a single preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed in detail, it will be understood that the same is susceptible to certain modification with regard to details of construction and design without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for applying varicolored sand to the normally exposed surfaces of a linearly movable, extruded, brick-forming clay column comprising a magazine structure terminating in an elongated discharge opening extending transversely and disposed vertically above the upper surface of said column, said magazine structure embodying a plurality of rows of compartments `for the reception of bodies of varicolored sand, each row of compartments having outlet means extending transversely of the magazine structure above the discharge opening of said magazine structure; means to adjust the eective area of the discharge opening of said magazine to control the volumetric flow of sand therethrough, valve means associated with the outlet means of each row of compartments and movable to control the discharge of sand from its row of compartments into the discharge opening of said magazine and thence onto the upper surface of said column; and fluid pressure actuated means connected with said valve means for opening and closing the latter in a given sequential order in response to a given linear movement of said column.

2. Apparatus as dened in claim 1, including means engageable with the upper and side surfaces of the clay column following passage thereof beneath said magazine structure for pressing sand grains deposited on said column `into the upper and side surfaces of said column.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said lastnamed means comprises 'linear pressure bars disposed adjacent the upper and side surfaces of said column and means to flex said bars longitudinally into shape-conformity with the adjacent surfaces of the clay column.

4. Apparatus for applying Varicolored sand to the top and side surfaces of a horizontally supported clay column as the same is undergoing discharge from an extruding mill to produce therefrom color-controlled brick, said apparatus comprising a frame mounted on the outlet of the extruding mill and through which frame the column is passed, said frame including a horizontal bottom wall along which the column is passed and upstanding side walls spaced from the sides of the column to define sand-receiving troughs, and a magazine structure carried by said frame and disposed vertically above and in registry with a substantially horizontal upper surface of said column, said magazine structure embodying a pluralty of rows of colored sand-receiving compartments, each row of compartments being arranged transversely of the magazine structure and the clay column, 'normally closed valve means in the bottom of each compartment for controlling the discharge of sand from the compartment onto the upper surface of said column; fluid-pressure-actuated means synchronized with the linear movement of said column for opening said valve means in a given sequential order; and means to render said fluid-pressure-actuated means inoperative in response to an interruption in the linear movement of said column.

5. Apparatus for applying sands of different colors to extruded clay columns to produce colored brcks therefrom, comprising: a supporting frame carried by the column-discharging end of an extruding mill; a magazine structure carried by said frame and formed with a plurality of compartrnents for receiving multicolored sands and depositing the same in controlled flow on the top and side surfaces of the column, each of said compartments having a valve-controlled outlet in the bottom thereof, the lower portion of said magazine structure being formed below said outlets with a distributor chamber having downwardly and inwardly converging side walls terminating in an outlet slot; and adjustable means for varying the effective area of said slot and thereby the volumetric flow of sand to an associated clay column.

6. Apparatus for applying sand to extruded clay columns employed in brick manufacture, comprising: a supporting frame disposed adjacent to an extruded horizontal clay column, a sand-receiving magazine carried by said frame, said magazine having an outlet in the bottom thereof for the gravitational discharge of sand therefrom and the deposit of the discharged sand on the upper surface of said column; a sand levelng and deflect ing device supported by said frame immediately above the upper column surface to control the layer depth of the deposited sand and deflect excess quantities of sand to the sides of the column; and means for embedding particles of the deposited sand in the upper surface of said column, said last-named means embodying a press bar arranged to extend transversely across the clay column, and means supporting said bar for turning adjustment about a horizontal axis to vary the angular relation between said bar and said column.

7. Sand-applying apparatus as defined in claim 6, including additional means to flex said press bar longitudinally and thereby conform the same to the upper surface of the extruded clay column.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 12,619 Lynn Mar. 19, 1907 2,074,445 Wettlaufer Mar. 23, 1937 2,705,358 Seigler Apr. 5, 1955 

